


D&D Short Character Stories

by Homestuckjunkie



Category: No Fandom
Genre: Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Druids, Gambling, Implied Sexual Content, Murder, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tieflings, Warlocks
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-26
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:27:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26114929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Homestuckjunkie/pseuds/Homestuckjunkie
Summary: Garbage fire of any D&D characters I make, including backstory and/or daily life; who knows, I might post descriptive profiles of them.This exists to sate my writing hunger and for me to feel my characters, as they most certainly live rent free in my head. Also for me to write something that isn't fanfiction for once-





	1. Journey's Genesis

**Author's Note:**

> I thirst for validation, though I don't always know how to respond to it. I also go crazy and don't double check my writing, so if you find any mistakes don't be afraid to tell me!

All things must die at some point. She knew this. It was one of the many lessons her mother taught her over the years; and yet, she couldn't help but stare at her caregiver's sleeping form, noting each strand of grayed hair atop her head. Every detail was scrutinized, from the wrinkles on the old women's forehead down to the shaking inhale and exhale of her breaths.

Taking care of a village, child, and many other tasks, would do that to a person. Even so, she had barely scratched her late 60's. It was too soon for her to rejoin the soil of the earth. Tentatively, so as not to wake the woman, Magnolia lightly stepped forward to place a basket of herbs on to her mother's dresser. 

As she set down the basket, she cast another glance towards her caretaker's face. By all means, the woman was in absolute tranquility despite the decaying of her body. Magnolia smiled softly as she retreated back to the main room of the quiet house, moving to the kitchen to grab the one item her mother hadn't asked her to buy: a chicken breast. 

The meat was already warm, and if not consumed soon would most likely go bad. Magnolia picked up the meat, cringing lightly at the slimy texture playing over her hands. Nevertheless, she continued onward through the entrance of her small abode.

The village her mother meticulously cared for lay in front of the house, while the backyard gave way to a wild forest. The tiefling allowed her gaze to rest on the village forlornly, for even though the human healer of the village, Beatrice, claimed Magnolia as her child, the people still weren't keen to interact with her. Breaking eye contact with the settlement, Magnolia pivoted on her heel and began to trek through the vast forest.

This was nothing new, and as a druid she strived to connect with nature in any way she could. This trip, however, could be considered a bit biased. A few weeks ago, she had noticed that a fox had decided to start a family in a burrow made under dead tree roots. Her intention was not to tame, but to gain the animal's trust.

As she approached the tree, 4 pairs of shining eyes stared at her curiously and warily from the den under the roots. Walking closer, each fox quickly retreated into the darkness as she placed the meat down a good foot from the entrance. Magnolia shuffled back another few feet, taking a seat on the forest floor. After 5 minutes of quiet sitting, the mother fox cautiously crept out of the den, keeping her eye on Magnolia's form.

Said tiefling restrained the bright smile trying to break out on her face, not wanting to startle the small forest creature. The canine tilted its head and made a small chirping noise. The corners of Magnolia's mouth tensed as her eyes crinkled with mirth at the fox's cute sound. The small scavenger gingerly took the offered chicken breast, trotting back to her den to feed the pups.

Magnolia stood back up and started the round trip back to her home. The sun blazed overhead, but nearly every ray was swallowed up by tree leaves before touching the forest floor. The dim lighting of the woods gave way to the grassy hill Magnolia's home sat on, the tiny traces of smoke wafting from the chimney indicating Beatrice's remedy making or baking. The druid's ears twitched as she registered an obnoxious tweeting noise.

Looking over to her right, she noticed a disturbance in a berry bush. Her brain pieced together what happened as she spotted a nest resting comfortably in the low lying branches of the tree above her. Smiling softly, Magnolia crouched down and parted the branches of the bush, finding the tiny bird making all the noise. She gently cupped the hatchling in her hands, elevating it back up to its nest.

"That's better now, isn't it?" Magnolia hummed to herself as she proceeded to continue to her house. Upon opening the front door, she immediately noticed her mother was up and mixing select herbs she had bought; remedies it was. Magnolia's smile fell as she watched the elderly woman work. There was hesitation in her choice, her hand hovering over a root before moving to a leaf instead. The same hand shook.

The other hand feverishly rolled a pestle over berries and mint leaves in a mortar bowl. There was a time when Beatrice hadn't viewed her work as the weight of the world. Where she had enjoyed serving the people. However, instead of praise and payment where it was due, her clientele now pried her for answers about her adopted daughter.

She had made one mistake, one wrong medicine; the child who should've made a full recovery died, and who did the people blame? Not Beatrice. Magnolia. The people of the village scorned a little girl whom they had never even met, claiming she had placed a foul curse on the medicine that should've healed the child.

Beatrice's stormy thoughts ended once she heard her young daughter clear her throat, garnering her attention. Relaxing her face, she put on a smile and turned to greet the young tiefling.

"Magnolia! Good afternoon, and I have to say that you did exceptionally well choosing the herbs today." A weak smile split the druid's face as she opened her mouth to tell her caretaker about the foxes in the woods.

Right as she was going to begin, her mother turned around and spoke before her.

"I want you to take this medicine into the village by yourself. It's for a child that has a teensy cold, but the parents don't want to take a chance. Nothing that a bit of thyme and elderberries can't fix, I'd say. Make sure to tell them he needs to consume lots of liquids for the next few days, as well." Magnolia's shoulders sagged as she looked at her caregiver in disbelief.

"I can't go out there alone! Those people hate me!" Beatrice took a deep breath in and turned around again.

"You can't always hide from the problem. They need to accept the fact that this is your home, too. Also, what do you mean you can't," Beatrice stopped to make air quotes, "go out there? You came back with herbs this morning, did you not?" Magnolia heaved out a sigh and avoided the disapproving stare of her mother.

"Mom! The flea market and the actual village are two different things. The people in the market don't care that I am what I am, they just see another pocket full of money!" Beatrice frowned and stepped up to her adopted child.

"Don't talk about yourself like that." The stare of disappointment become one of anger. 

"What do you mean? I didn't even mention myself!" Magnolia continued to keep her eyes on the floor as Beatrice stood in front of her. 

"I am what I am? Another pocket full of money? You shouldn't downplay yourself like that," Beatrice took the final step and gently cupped Magnolia's face in her hands, forcing the tiefling to look her in the eyes, "you are so much more than a pocket of money. You're a treasure. You don't have to be ashamed of being a tiefling; it's what you do in life that matters. Not what you are." Magnolia's lips trembled as her eyes teared up, bringing her hands up to tightly grip Beatrice's wrists, but not moving the gentle hands away from her face.

"I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. You're so beautiful. I hope one day you'll be able to call yourself beautiful, too." Beatrice smiled warmly at the young adult she had raised from infancy. Magnolia's face scrunched up as her tears finally fell, dropping on to the weary hands of her mother.

"I'll try."


	2. Troublesome Heir

"Move out of the way, runt!" An older kid shoved Rose to the ground, the rest of the kids in line doing nothing but filling the spot she had previously occupied. With new scrapes bleeding from her knees and palms, the little girl hissed through her teeth and glared at the boy with venom. 

"Maybe I wouldn't be a runt if you weren't such a damn pig, Jakey-boy!" At this insult, the older male's face twisted into a fearsome sneer as he marched up to Rose's fallen body. Rose made an attempt to get back up once she realized her mistake, seeing the boy getting ready to deliver a nasty kick. Too late. White, hot pain shot through her midsection as she sputtered and gasped for air, using her legs to protect her stomach from any further assault.

"What did you just say to me? I dare you to say it again." In pure, unhindered spite, Rose raised her head to look the teenager in the eyes.

"I said the truth. You eat more than a pen of pigs on Sunday!" The aggressor's eyes lit up with cold fury as he brought his foot down on her head, using his sheer weight to press it down against the hot concrete. Rose struggled and scratched at his ankles, feeling the bits of rocks bite into her cheek the harder he leaned.

"You know, I'm starting to think you actually like this. You always have something to say when no one asked. When are you gonna learn that pests like you are fed last? Maybe I've been too lenient." _You think this is too lenient!?_ Rose yelled in her head. Her mouth opened in silent pain as Jake continued his step over her head, leaning down to grab something she couldn't see. Rose frantically brushed away the debris clinging to her face, hyperventilation setting in. Upon seeing the looming shadow, the small girl rolled around to see what the older kid was about to do.

The last thing she saw was a hand bringing down a jagged rock.

* * *

Everything was cold, and it felt as if her skin was stuck to the ground. Rose's head felt as light as a feather, which with more consideration probably wasn't a good thing. Opening her eyes was an unbelievable struggle, and only the left one opened in the end. Rose stumbled as she tried standing up, once again irritating the skin of her knees.

Finally upright, the little girl glanced around the now empty streets, her many senses returning to her. Although her mouth was dry, she tasted the metal tang of blood among the dust coating her tongue. Running her hand over her face, she realized her right eye did not open because of the copious amount of blood caked on her face. Rose's eyes stung with unshed tears, heart withering in resentment of the way she was forced to live. Surely, if there was a god, why would they sentence children to such miserable lives?

Footsteps became audible a few houses down, and a bright light pierced the night air. Rose's eyes widened in alarm, her body making a full 180 as the city guard combed through the streets. 

"Hey, I think I heard something over there." Rose quickly turned down into an alleyway, desperately searching for a hiding place. When guards found anyone out past curfew, you never saw them again. It couldn't be anything good. The only available space in the alley was a lone dumpster, and as much as Rose's skin crawled at the thought of having to sit in it for any amount of time, she couldn't be picky in the situation.

Running to the large waste container, she pushed open the lid and jumped inside, carefully closing it again and moving to huddle in the corner. The consistent and steady steps of the guard reached her ears as they passed by, leading her to hug her knees tighter. Rose held her breath as the two men left her vicinity, her knuckles white with the force she was holding herself with. 

Finally releasing her vice grip and breath, Rose jumped as her hand made contact with a piece of balled up parchment. Looking down at the yellowed paper, she curiously pawed at it before picking it up and unraveling it. The entire page was filled with scrawled handwriting, words in different languages, but most glaringly a pentagram. Three conspicuous splotches stained the center of the star, accompanied by a note on the side saying "blood, blood, blood."

The paper felt familiar, but in a deceiving way. Rose narrowed her eyes and put the paper down, beginning to move to open the dumpster lid. On instinct, a scream tried to rip through the silent night as a hand larger than her head closed over her mouth, slamming her to the back of the container. Despite the lower half of her face being smothered, Rose sobbed to her full extent as tears blurred her vision and streaked down her dirty face.

Thanks to her bleary eyesight, all Rose could see of her assailant was an indiscriminate black mass. She didn't know what scared her more; the fact that it was so massive she couldn't see its entire body or the fact that it definitely had claws that were digging into the back of her head at the moment. The temperature of the enclosed space was so cold it felt hot, and the only reason she knew was her newfound loss of limb control. Weakly, Rose forced her hand up to rest on the creature's wrist, a final plea as black spots began to dance across her vision.

With a blink, the small girls tears cleared enough for her to see the face of the thing suffocating her. Smooth skin and exposed bony teeth were prominent on its face, every inch of its skin pitch black. In the darkness, however, the most noticeable feature was the cluster of shining eyes. Even with five ocular organs, each pupil was focused completely on her. Those eyes held the most color she had ever seen in her life.

The irises melded with the sclera, creating a clashing blur of red and green. Both colors were muted, and the red sclera was a deep wine color while the irises were a dark emerald. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Rose thought about the ring she had stolen from a noble woman. If the jewels in that ring were expensive, then the eyes of this beast were priceless. 

Rose weakly guided her hand up its arm and brushed over its face, her hand being closely watched by one of the eyes as it traced under each facial feature. The young girl finally succumbed to the lack of oxygen, closing her eyes in anguish and letting her arm fall back down. That was when she heard it. 

Whispers erupted and grew louder by the second, and there were so many voices Rose couldn't discern what was being said. An earsplitting scream flooded over, and Rose faintly registered the blood beginning to fall from her nose. Finally, the jumble of sound coalesced into one wispy word, or rather, name.

"Jake."

Air rushed back into Rose's lungs as her eyes snapped open, and she was once again alone in the dumpster. Jerking her head down, she realized that the paper had disappeared. Instead, new writing took up the dumpster wall in front of her.

_"If my eyes are so pretty, why does anyone else deserve to have them?"_

At first, Rose struggled to understand what Jake had to do with the cryptic message, until she remembered the gleaming eyes that had stared her down. Green eyes. Jake had green eyes. Had the creature understood the motive behind her greedy caress?

Rose's features hardened as she finally climbed out of the dumpster, heading to the wing of the city that the mentioned boy lived in. This time, there were no city guard to interrupt her walk. The moon shone brightly overhead, but thick clouds were going to roll in soon. Signs of life began to show, the scattered forms of other children sleeping dotting every odd roof or floor space.

At the back of the shallow alleyway lay Jake. Rose silently walked up to him, mindful of the other 3 children trying to sleep. There was a solid 5 minutes where she waited for him to wake up, doing nothing but staring down at his resting form. At last, Jake's brow twitched as he noticed the looming presence.

Upon opening his eyes, he jumped back in alarm at the sight of the girl he had attacked earlier that day. The blood coating the side of her face told him she shouldn't even be alive.

"What the hell! You've got some real nerve to wake me up, bitch!" That was a new name, but Rose didn't need to understand it to know it was an insult. The rest of the kids started to wake up too, immediately clearing out as soon as they felt the anger rolling off of Jake. Lifting a foot to stomp towards the smaller girl, the older child froze in his spot as flames engulfed Rose's right arm, lighting up the alley wall.

Jake recognized the severity of the situation as his eyes met the small girl's dead stare, his heart throbbing harshly as she raised her flaming hand in a mocking reach for a handshake. Of course, he didn't reach for it. Instead, he bolted for the open space next to her. Rose stuck her foot out as he raced by, making the older boy eat concrete as he fell.

Rose turned on her heel and stood over Jake's body, bringing down her ignited hand to rest on the back of his neck. His breathing became exceedingly ragged as he started a round of begging.

"Shut up." With those two words, the flames dancing on Rose's arms fanned out over Jake's body, scorching every inch of clothing and skin it could find. His body convulsed violently as his bloodcurdling screams filled the night air, beckoning a small and soft smile from Rose's lips. The smell of burning flesh permeated the air, only to be interrupted by the sudden downpour of rain. As the flames were doused by the rain to reveal the corpse, Rose's small smile grew into a large toothy grin as she laughed into the sky, doing a twirl before kneeling down next to his head.

The little girl gazed at the dead body in elated joy, not even knowing exactly why she was so happy. The soft patter of paws caught her attention, leading her to see a cat sitting on the opposite side of the dead child. Rose moved to shoo the animal away, until its eyes came up to lock with hers. It was a quiet tension, but its emerald eyes were unmistakable. 

The cat slowly reached over and swatted the side of the dead boy's face, hitting his closed eye each time. Gently, she turned the head, ignoring the flaky crunches that sounded from the burnt nape. Surprisingly, the eyes were still intact. Rose figured the fire did that on purpose, which meant the thing before her wanted the eyes. 

Without thinking twice, Rose dug her fingers into the socket, feeling warm blood gush out of the eye cavity. She gave the eye a harsh tug as the optic nerve refused to let go of its host, creating a wet snapping noise. She followed the same procedure with the other eye, cradling both orbs in her bloodied hands. By now, the rain had completely soaked her and left her chilled to the bone.

In spite of the biting cold, Rose felt warm as she stared forlornly at the cat. In an anxiety inducing way, the small feline's mouth began to open as it became exceedingly clear that this was not just some street cat. In the back of the throat, she saw it. The cluster of 5 eyes sat there snugly, fixing on her with an expectant shine.

Rose willingly fed it the eyes, watching with morbid fascination as they disappeared into the creatures gullet.

"Apologies for my rude behavior, faithful morsel." A deep, gravelly voice pressed at the corners of her mind.

"My name is Azirim; I would quite like if you'd join me for eternity." Under the beating rain and next to the smoking corpse, Rose couldn't find it in herself to say no to her first, and only, friend she'd ever need.


	3. On the Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2 people really need to go to horny jail in this story

Rose, now Crim, sat comfortably at the quiet end of a tavern. Across the room, she watched wide eyed as man after man was torn down in a game of gambling. The undefeated player had a sizable amount of loot on his side of the table, chuckling coyly as yet another gambler begrudgingly gave up their treasure.

"Is that all, lads? No one's takin' down ol' Alwyn?" The remaining patrons in the bar booed, dispersing and exiting the area. The proclaimed Alwyn snickered at their misfortune, sifting through all of the money and artifacts he had swiped within the hour. Meanwhile, Crim watched with glittering eyes as she swirled her beverage. Taking a quick swig of her drink, she sauntered over to the man's table.

Crim's swaying hips were not missed by Alwyn as she approached, drawing his gaze up from his winnings to look at her supple form. Maybe there was one more thing he could win tonight.

"Sorry, gorgeous, but I'm done for the night. Unless.. you want to share sheets with me?" Crim suppressed a grimace as the gambler checked her out, instead forcing herself to chuckle. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a sparkling gold and diamond encrusted necklace, letting it fall on to the table.

"Diamonds are a girl's best friend, but I'm sure you can be mine too if you share a few drinks with me. I wanna play just as bad as the rest of you boys." By this point, Alwyn was nearly drooling at his prospects. In his excitement, he quickly brought his deck back out and layed down the cards. The waitress cautiously approached the table and asked for drinks, keeping her eyes from making direct contact with either of the customers.

"I'll take what the pretty lady's havin'." The waitress, having took Crim's original order, glanced up in concern. The warlock scoffed and gently brought her cup up to the man's lips, bringing a blush of surprise to his face. The blush left as fast as it came, chased away by the liquid poison burning his throat. Alwyn coughed abruptly and covered his mouth with his hand, his eyes tearing up.

"Absinthe!? You've got some strange tastes, ah?" The gambler trailed off as he looked up at Crim's imposing form. Her eyes squinted as she sent him a seductive smile.

"So I've been told. My name is Crim, by the way." Finally taking her seat, Crim waved off the waitress and let her hand rest on the table top, starting a rhythm. She smiled once more.

"Shall we begin?"

* * *

Crim watched Alwyn's hands with a severe ferocity, keeping her eyeline out of sight from her opponent. From the earlier group of players, the young warlock came to the assumption that this gambler was a cheater. As the game proceeded, the man put piece after piece of his previous winnings forward, while Crim continued dropping down priceless gems and jewelry pieces. It was only when he was on his last two prizes that she saw it.

A sleight of hand, barely noticeable to an untrained eye, but inescapable to Crim; his left hand brought all the cards into one stack, using his right hand to "adjust" his sleeve. A new card slid to the front of his hand, the card at the back of his deck falling into the long sleeve. Crim's face darkened as she continued to face him down, listing off the imperfections of his face in her head. _Oily. Round. Beady little rat eyes. Wait. That's an insult to the rats._

With the last thought, her returning smile wasn't as forced. The hand she held also brought that smile to her face. Crim placed her cards down, seeing as Alwyn had nothing left to give.

"Straight flush. Good game, though." Ever since his party trick, she knew he was going to pull a miracle out of his ass. It was all the more evident when he looked up from his cards at her face with glee.

"Sorry, sweetheart," He ran his cards over the table, displaying his hand in triumph, "Royal flush." Crim let out a dramatic sigh.

"I guess there's something I should tell you, but you'll have to lean in for it." The warlock moved over the table top, Alwyn mirroring her actions in a giddy manner. Brushing her lips against the shell of his ear, Crim watched in dissatisfaction as the hairs on the man's neck stood on end. Her left arm sat supportively, while her right arm moved down to her hip and behind her single shouldered cape.

"I hate it when people cheat against me." Alwyn's face fell and his head turned in an attempt to meet her gaze. His body froze in shock as a dagger cleanly slid through his jugular. Blood welling up in his throat, the man began to weakly grab at Crim's wrist. The tall woman held him close as he feebly squirmed in her embrace, blood splattering on to her black clothes from his mouth.

A set of footsteps approached the table as it became apparent a new waitress was busing the tables.

"Can I get you lovebirds anything?" A knowing tone, completely oblivious to the fact that the man was in fact a corpse, settled into Crim's ears. Flashing a charming smile, she coquettishly met the gaze of the older lady.

"You guys sell rooms, right? I'm afraid my fiancé has had too much to drink." Her dagger stayed planted firmly in his throat, using her palm to keep any excess blood from escaping the wounded area. The waitress gave a hearty grin and nodded to the stairs on the far side of the bar.

"You can leave your pay outside of the door, we're not picky." Another wink was given before the lady left to serve another patron that had just walked in. Letting out a huff, Crim looped her arm under the left shoulder of the now deceased Alwyn. Hoisting his body up to rest against her chest, it was now signed and sealed that nobody would see the shining steel jutting out of his throat. Carefully carrying his rapidly chilling corpse, Crim finally kicked open a room door and threw him on to the waiting bed.

Letting the door swing close, a new, more sinister presence permeated the room. The human warlock's heart bounced around wildly as a large clawed hand engulfed her left shoulder, an equally broad chest pressing against her backside. Crim's right forearm was held quickly afterward, keeping her hand palm up. Feeling the entity lean down, the young woman felt shivers run up her spine. The telltale exposed teeth brushed lightly against the side of her neck in an attempt to draw a reaction from her.

"Not now, I'm busy holding my end of our deal." The head of Azirim came back up as Crim tilted her head into his chest, icy blue hues clashing against acidic greens.

"While I do so admire when you get fired up, it's not like we're in any rush, little shrike." Each word was a drawl, the demonic creature towering above her petting patterns into her limbs.

"What if I said: I'm not in the mood." The warlock shrugged off her patron's grip, dutifully striding to the cold, bleeding corpse on the bed. Carefully prying the man's eye lids open, Crim rolled her eyes as she heard Azirim release a long sigh behind her. Pushing past the tissues, the woman gripped both eyes firmly and gently pulled them out. Tossing the orbs into the air, she spun and caught them mid fall, offering them to her patron palm up. The looming figure begrudgingly took the eyes, rolling them between his claws and letting the light dance off of their dulling green hues.

"Excellent handiwork, as always; though I wish you would have taken the time to use those hands on me instead." Crim debated a quick slap, but decided against once she realized he'd probably take it as an invitation. After a single blink, Azirim had disappeared. Turning around to inspect the room, a wide smile finally broke her serious facade as she took note of the dimly burning candle set on the night stand. Approaching the flame, she quickly swept her hand under its heat and imbued it with deadly magic.

"Oops." Crim dropped the ball of flame on to the ground, the wood immediately lighting up and spreading the blaze across the room. A new laugh erupted from her as she jumped through the window, glass slicing skin on her face and arms as she sticked a smooth landing outside of the building. Brushing off extra debris, the warlock jovially walked away from the tavern, ignoring all the suspicious and strange stares she received from the townspeople.

Nobody moved to stop her from leaving. Who could, when everyone was busy trying to stop a raging inferno from threatening to engulf the entire settlement?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were thinking it, yes. Crim and Azirim don't just have sex. They F U C K


	4. Moon Medic

A group of Moon Elf children sat around the flitting form of a small rabbit, eyes sparkling with tears as its white fur turned red from the wound a wild dog had given it.

"This isn't fair! Why won't Carnan help him?" The rest of the children mumbled in agreement, casting glances towards the healer's lavish tower in the north. The movements of the prey animal slowed and all attention went back to the fuzzy animal. A few of the children backed up in distress and paced, eyes shifting from the rabbit to the other kids in the circle.

"You know, you're probably scaring him more by surrounding him." The elf children carefully assessed the returning member before backing away from the rabbit, some of their expressions souring at her presence.

"Why isn't your dad here? He can help. He's supposed to help!" The group's indignant cry reached the ears of resting adults, most of them ignoring the squalor in favor of going back to their jobs. The girl crossed her arms and sent a nasty scowl towards the group, immediately shutting them up. 

"I tried. I really did. He said one rabbit wasn't worth his time and that we should just put it out of its misery." All of their eyes widened in disbelief, many of their lips quivering in sorrow. The pale gray elf girl approached the seizing rabbit solemnly, lightly stroking its forehead as its labored movement scuffed against the ground. She slowly brought her hand to lightly grab the top of the animals head, whispering an old prayer thanking the creature. The mob of children lurched forward, too late to stop the girl's next action. A dog pile of elven childlings was the result, and even worse some of them could feel blood seeping into their clothes.

Backing up hurriedly and checking their clothing for stains, the clean ones were the first to see the now dead rabbit, its head twisted to the side unnaturally. One of the girls in the group looked at the girl who killed it, her face contorting in frustration.

"Why did you do that Rae? He didn't deserve that!" The girl broke out into full sobs, covering her face with her hands as the rest of the kids gave her comforting pats.

"Stop being babies, was I just supposed to let it slowly die in pain? _No one_ was coming to help." Everyone fell silent, even the bawling child, to stare at her in a mixture of horror and defeat. Being greeted with their silence, Rae squeezed her arms to her side and broke eye contact, wandering back to the streets to travel home.

* * *

The sun was barely dipping below the horizon once she returned home, stopping at the doorway to her abode. As she expected, the sounds of her family arguing poured from the inside, stopped only by the pale stone making up the grand tower.

"She is not some child slave, Carnan! She needs her own life and her own friends, she can't stay here forever!" Rae sniffed as she waited for her father to reply, not daring to step in until they were finished.

"Maybe she should stay here forever! She's got more promise than our other failures of children-"

A sharp smack reverberated through the room, even making Rae flinch. She stumbled back as the front door flew open in front of her, her mother freezing and looking her youngest in the eyes. Hiccupping, she resumed storming down the stairs out into the streets, ignoring Rae's concerned gaze. Turning back to look inside, she quickly averted her gaze to the ground as she caught sight of her father glaring murderously out to where his wife went, a deep blue hand mark settled nicely on his face. 

"Rae, I need you to get elderflower and betony from the garden." Spinning on his heel, Carnan stepped heavily up the stairs, presumably to his work place. Nodding lightly, she walked in and closed the door behind her, making her way to the backyard containing their herbs. With her first step into the garden, the temperature had already dropped and many plants were wilting. Tsking, she leaned down and picked a dandelion, a few seeds falling off and fluttering to the ground. Bringing it up to her lips, she whispered out a quiet enchantment her father had taught her.

"Quessir ath tel’ sha suor ath tel’quiet nu." The seeds on the flower glowed dully before flaring up to warm simmering embers, warmth spreading through her hands. With a gentle smile, Rae blew the seeds out over the garden, watching with silent fascination as the transformed seeds landed on the plants and improved their physique. Resuming her task, she dutifully marched over to the patches of plants, grabbing a handful of elderflower blooms and a few betony sprigs. Giving them a quick glance over, Rae stood up to return to her father's side, hoping that his mood hadn't been ruined for the rest of the night. Running up the spiral stair case lining the wall, she only stopped to look down the hallway where her siblings resided.

Her only brother, Ronan, stared back at her warily, almost immediately breaking eye contact and retreating to his room. Rae's heart stung from the gesture, but it pays to be the favorite child in more ways than one. Continuing her trek, she finally reached the top of the tower. The door to her father's study always felt bigger than it was. Softly pushing it open, Rae saw Carnan hunched over his desk, notes being scribbled in a journal faster than her eyes could follow. Next to him, an alchemy set bubbled as a steady blue flame burned under a flask, curious green liquid sludging its way through a tube into a new vial.

"Did you bring what I asked for?" Rae jumped, quickly straightening herself and speedily walked to his table, placing the flowers gently on the surface. He silently inspected the plants before grabbing them and rubbing the petals between his fingers, before handing them back to her.

"Excellent pickings, as usual. Go put them in wraps, I'll have you deliver them tomorrow." Rae complied, walking over to a different table. _Her_ table. Small satchels were littered haphazardly across the workspace, remnants of old herbs peppering the desk. Paper tags waited patiently on a hoop to be written on with a name of any single elf living in the area, accompanied by strong silk threads to seal the package. Carefully placing the plants in their respective bags, she folded the cloth neatly until it was a small bundle.

"It's for Mrs Sylcan. She has a mild cold, but she won't stand for it nonetheless. Write down that she needs to take the betony in portions, boiled into a drink," Carnan gesticulated in a circular motion with his wrist before continuing his work, "And then she should make a syrup with the elderflowers, taking it at small doses every three hours or so. I trust you remember how to make that recipe." Carnan's voice held an underlying bite, his left foot beginning to bounce in annoyance. Rae quietly wrote down his instructions, doodling a small bird on the corner of the small parchment before tying everything together. Putting the bag next to the other medicine packs, Rae turned to leave the study.

"Rae. Don't let this get to your head, but I am proud of you. No one else in this godforsaken house seems to have a modicum of responsibility." The elf child stopped in front of the door, casting a glance at her bitter parent. Bidding him a good night, she left to her room, quickly moving through the hall to avoid interaction with her siblings.

* * *

"Rae why are you doing this! This is what he wants, listen to your heart!" Mara, her mother, was holding her youngest firmly in place, trying, and failing, to keep eye contact with her.

"Mom this _is_ what I want! I want to help people, not.. Not _fester_ in this tower for the rest of my days! I'm going," Rae shook off her mother's hands, finally meeting her eyes, "I'm going to get officiated as a doctor and I'm going to swear my oath!" Mara grimaced and covered her face with her hands, tears slipping out from under her palms. Behind her in the house was the rest of her family, three sisters and her brother, each one jaded by the never-ending stream of events. If their mother wasn't having a breakdown, their father would surely be tearing through the house. That, however, was impossible seeing as the old codger had died many years prior. His dying wish: For Rae to follow him in his field.

"Mom, I want to explore. There are plenty of other medics here, and it's not like you'll be lonely. I don't think any of them liked me much anyway." Gesturing to the rest of her family, Mara's face fell further when she saw the faded eyes of the rest of her children. Closing her eyes in anguish, the defeated mother pulled Rae into her arms.

"Promise me you'll be safe. Please." Rae put her chin on top of her mother's head, hugging her tightly.

**"I promise."**

"And do you promise to never lift your blade against a living being, so long as it breathes?"

Rae sighed deeply. Only two more swears to go, and she'd be off as her own person.

"I promise."

"And in the best of your ability, help those who need it, even if they should oppose you?"

"I promise."

"Lastly, swear into your true name that as a doctor, you will follow this covenant until the day you die. Now, loudly, for all present to hear: What _is_ your true name?"

A true name is not thought about, or selected beforehand, when a doctor is sworn within her city. The other kids are free to become adults and choose a name, but they will not discover their true name until much later. As a doctor's apprentice, you must wait until you've completed 100 moons of training before a swear to oath is even considered by the elder medics. Rae had asked many times, and while they claimed to have admired her tenacity, they always said that she should take time to mourn her father. She was ready to take the mantle, and elders be damned she wasn't going to live another year with the rest of the elves in her age group calling her a kid.

"My name," Closing her eyes, Rae let her mouth move for itself, "Is Rephyra."


End file.
